I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of artificial bait for fishing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fishing lure having an articulatable hook connector disposed between a head and a hook.
II. Description of the Related Art
Anglers often utilize fishing lures capable of attracting fish by the use of a rotating member which produces sounds, splashing or vibrational effects. Typically, these lures have a hook which is either rigidly mounted or articulately mounted to a head. When the hook rigidly extends from the head, particularly with those lures having a skirt, the lure can be weedless. That is, the hook is capable of resisting entanglement with either land or water plants. When fish are less aggressive and not attacking the lure, anglers sometimes removably attach a trailer hook to the hook to improve the lure's effectiveness. Unfortunately, the trailer hook has unrestricted articulated movement and are therefore non-weedless.
Examples of lures having hooks which are articulately mounted to the heads are described in U.S. patents issued to Cauquis (U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,547), Long et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,089), Lewis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,876) and Oesterreich (U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,497). Articulately mounted hooks offer the angler superior recovery percentages because the fish, once hooked, can not easily throw the hook by its resistive movements. The hook moves as the fish moves with respect to the head, thereby preventing the fish from gaining leverage against the head, tearing a larger hook penetration opening and slipping off the hook. Unfortunately, because these lures have hooks with unrestrictive articulated movement, the lures are non-weedless.
Snap-Set Lures advertises a fishing lure under the brand name SNAP-SET SPINNERBAIT. This lure is a spinnerbait that has a hook flexibly attached to a frame by what is described as a heavy braid. The braid is slid into a rubber sheath at the base of a head. When the fish strikes the bait, the braid is pulled from the sheath and provides more play for the fish, thereby providing less leverage to the fish. Once the hook encounters resistance of any kind, the braid extends from the sheath, making the lure non-weedless.